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True victory is knowing

I normally don’t use this column to promote movies, but I would recommend Rocky Balboa (Rocky VI) as a worthwhile way to spend a couple of hours.

The movie climaxes with (what else) a fight.

Unlike the other Rocky movies, however, the pugilistic hero exits the ring before the final verdict is rendered.

As he and his friends stroll — amidst a wave of unabashed adoration — toward the lockerroom, the ring announcer reveals the outcome.

But, the result seems almost non-important, in the context of the story and the triumph against odds far tougher than Rocky’s flesh-and-blood foe.

In the final analysis, I believe true victory has nothing to do with what appears on a scoreboard or how judges rule.

True victory has nothing to do with rings and trophies and endorsements and screaming fans and all that.

Oh, sure, those things have their own place and satisfaction.

But, true victory is simply knowing in someone’s heart they did their absolute best — that he or she dedicated every ounce of courage, endurance and effort into preparation and into the final battle itself.

And that they did it honestly and fairly.

That kind of victory doesn’t need fame or external rewards to justify itself.

When athletes achieve that level, the baubles of success are nearly meaningless compared to the satisfaction they feel in their heart and in their whole being.

It is the supreme triumph. It is true success.

It is the mark of a true warrior.

Blast from the past

Following are summaries of national and local sports news as reported in local newspapers.

“Slugger Joe Stands the Test of Time,” the headline over the photo stated.

Underneath the photo, it praised Jackson for being one of the most consistent top hitters of the dead ball generation.

Less than six weeks later, Jackson would be disgraced in the Bartlesville newspapers and throughout the nation and the world for taking money to throw the 1919 World Series.

On the local front in 1920, ‘Big Six’ Scott of Bartlesville was slated to pitch his farewell game in early August in Bartlesville before joining the St. Louis Browns of the National League on Aug. 15.

Scott was part of a Bartlesville All-Star team playing for the local Elks Club, made up of players from the Empires and Phillips Petroleum teams. The local were slated to play a two-game series against the visiting Oklahoma City Elks.

Scott’s stay in the Major Leagues was brief. He made just two game appearances for the Browns in 1920, his only stint in the ‘bigs.’ He threw six innings, walking three and striking out one with an earned run average of 4.5.

Earlier in the summer, the Rotes defeated the Keewans in local baseball action, 9-0, as reported on June 5 in the Examiner. This was a part of a best-of-five series at the city park to win a silver trophy donated by C.E. Walterscheid.